Characteristics of two Colletotrichum species and evaluation of resistance to anthracnose in pepper

Studies on growth characteristics of Colletotrichumcapsici and C. gloeosporioides were conducted from 20-36°C in 4°C increments on potato dextrose agar medium. The optimal increase in colony diameter for C. capsici was at 28 and 32°C , while for C. gloeosporioides it was 28°C. Detached mature fruits of hot and sweet peppers were inoculated with conidia of C. capsici and incubated at 20-36°C at 4°C interval. Lesion diameter was greatest at 28 and 32°C for sweet pepper and at 32 and 36°C for hot pepper. Ten of each red and green fruits were collected from sequential plantings of hot and sweet pepper plants in the greenhouse. Fruits were washed and then sprayed with a conidial suspension of C. capsici and C. gloeosporioides. Both species infected green and red fruit with more lesions developed on red fruit. Ten red-ripe detached fruits from each of 305 field-planted accessions were inoculated with C. capsici and C. gloeosporioidesusing the fruit puncture method. The accessions, C01826 and CO2220, had no visible lesions while eight other lines had less than 0.5 mm diameter lesions. All of these lines were considered highly resistant.